Saving in the Wrong Place.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 805, 23 May 1876, Page 7

Saving in the Wrong Place.

(From tlie 'New Zealand Times.') " Tbe Savings Bank in the School " is the title of a small pamphlet devoted to advocating the introduction of savings banks in public schools, and based upon an experiment being carried on in convection with the schools of Ghent. Like most of the schemes presented to the world from time to time by would-be improvers of the human race, this possesses certain points which, taken by themselves, must be accepted as of considerable value in considering the moral culture of a people, and of the young especially. But in the several pages of argument we see before us there is little to convince us that the scheme proposed will ultimately be productive of tbe beneficial result desired, and by its patrons looked forward to with confidence. Mr J. Gr. Fitch, of London, ore of her Majesty's inspectors of schools, gives the result of his observations while on a visit to Ghent, and is good enough to make a Dumber of general observations of a philosophic tendency regarding the habits of prudence and forethought. Naturally enough, his figures Bhow the school children of Ghent to be in a very prosperous coudition. The generous impulses of their young minds are checked ; they are taught not to regard their limited stock of pocket mouey as a means to procure them trilling enjoyments during tlie hours of recreation ; and consequently tbe children of Ghent are possessed of a few shillings apiece more than the school children in tbe same station of life in other localities. This might be all very well however ; more, it would b 8 a creditable state of things if Mr Fitch could show satisfactorily that the introduction of savings banks in these public echools morally influences tbe children for good. It is ou this point only that a difference of opiuion can arise in connectiou with the subject. It seems to us that tbe idea is entirely erroneous. In a large school one set of rules cannot be made°to apply in tbe " moral " instruction of all the children, inasmuch as temperaments differ, and it is quite possible that a teacher, while doing good in encouraging habits, of saving in one of his pupils, may, by influencing a&otjjer in the same way, produce a result precisely contrary, and teach biin to fc>e mean, avaricious, and sordid. Young child i'en are not as a rule capable of making fine distinctions between right aud wrong. Their characters are formed by the society in which they live and by the examples set the^i by their elders and associates.

Unless a child be of a generous nature the effect of his being made to hoard his money will be in the end to make him miserly. If, on the other hand, he be of a profligate nature, it may be that on being let loose -from the bonds which have held him for a long time he. will gratify propensities a long while checked by those in authority over him, and spend a wild and reckless career until, if it should fortunately happen so, he discovers that money is precious only when it is used in moderation, and to secure the happiness not only of ourselves but of those around us. It is just possible that Mr Fitch and others who interest themBelves in this school savings bank movement might find room for the exercise of their good intentions in other directions.